KARNATAKA

After India's independence, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name; the former Maharaja served as its Rajpramukh (head of state) until 1975. Karnataka has also been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient and medieval India.

Originally known as the State of Mysore, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973.

Karnataka is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, unexplored forests and endless beaches. The waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh National Park are listed as must-see places and among the "1001 Natural Wonders of the World.

Adi Shankaracharya chose Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four mathas.

Bangalore the capital of Karnataka is known as the Silicon valley of India. Seven of India's leading banks originated here in Karnataka also 70% of the country's total Mulberry Silk comes from here. In Karnataka, silk is mainly grown in the Mysore district.
 

Karnataka has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Popular among them are Bandipur National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi and the monuments of Pattadakal are on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The cave temples at Badami and the rock-cut temples at Aihole representing the Badami Chalukyan style of architecture are also popular tourist destinations. The Hoysala temples at Belur and Halebidu, which were built with Chloritic schist (soap stone) is also under consideration for  UNESCO World Heritage site status.

Hotels and Resorts in various holiday destinations in Karnataka
Bangalore	Mysore
Hassan	Hampi
Coorg	Madikeri
Gokarna	Karwar
Badami	Belur and Haleibidu
Chikmagalur	Udupi
Mangalore	Kabini
Bandipur	Nagarhole
Karnataka Holiday Packages
Karnataka Exotic tour	Karnataka with Kerala
Karnataka with Tamil Nadu	Bangalore - Mysore - Ooty package
Coffee Plantation Tour	Golden Chariot tour

Kerala Houseboat Packages